2. 68 per cent of civil mediations resolved all issues between the parties, and a further 25 per cent of civil mediations did not resolve all issues but helped the parties make progress towards a resolution. In other words, in 93 per cent of civil mediations, the mediation resulted in a complete or a partial settlement of the dispute.

3. The average total mediation fees for a civil mediation were $1,566. The average legal fees for a litigation dispute up to and including a two-day civil trial were $21,452 per party, or $42,904 for two parties. In other words, if a civil mediation is conducted before lawyers are retained, the cost of the mediation is a small fraction of the costs of litigation.

4. Cases which included a mediation resolved on average about five months sooner than those which did not.

5. 93 per cent of participants in civil mediations had an average-or-higher satisfaction rate with the process.

Mediation is not the perfect answer in every case, but the numbers show that it's usually a cost-effective way to conclude a dispute successfully.